Self-Reunion - Lost Memories, Lost Identity.
by TBOtaku
Summary: My latest Rurouni Kenshin fan fiction!! I thought this one up just yesterday night, when I thought to myself, "What if one of the Oniwabanshuu survived??" ...Well, I won't ruin a surprise, so just READ!!! And REVIEW!!! ^~V
1. Self-Reunion: Lost Memories, Lost Identi...

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Self-Reunion - Lost Memories, Lost Identity  
The Man Who Hides Behind a Mask   
By TBOtaku  
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Aoshi stumbled into a thorn bush and closed his eyes. The pain was nothing to him now. [Hannya…Beshimi…Hyottoko…Shikijou…] They were gone. All gone. Never coming back. Never.  
  
[All because of ME!]  
  
Aoshi let out a soul-wrenching cry…  
  
[Agony!]  
  
[Fury!]  
  
It was too much. Aoshi wept bitterly, tears streaming out of his eyes only to be washed away by the rain that poured down on him. The rain that now flooded the nearby stream, the rain that pelted down onto the roof of the decrepit shrine facing the clearing where the broken man now lay, the rain that washed over the shallow graves of his friends.  
  
[My selfishness…My foolishness!]  
  
Lightning flashed, illuminating the ground, the trees, and revealing four mounds of earth.  
  
The rain poured down.  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
[Pain!]  
  
[Noise!]  
  
[Surrounded!]  
  
[Why can't I see? Something's on top of me! Everything hurts…hurts! Pain…]  
  
A hand pushed up and strew earth over the ground. Gasping the cold mountain air, a hunched form looked up at the sky. Water splashed onto something onto stinging eyes, washed mud from torn clothing.  
  
Rain…  
  
Slowly, inch by inch, the figure clawed itself along the ground, no destination in mind, no coherent thoughts at all, just the need to keep moving. An instinct. Inch by inch by inch by inch-  
  
The man's head fell forward onto wet leaves, clenched hands became relaxed. Sweet darkness staked its claim.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Yukiyo Takamura galloped along. Or rather her horse did. She silently cursed her luck. Coming back from the market, the storm had caught her only halfway to her village. She hoped the goods she had traded for hadn't been ruined. Slapping the reins, Yukiyo urged her horse faster, faster, faster-  
  
Lightning flashed suddenly, bringing the scene into view. The young woman's horse reared, neighing in fright, forcing Yuki to clutch at the reigns and struggle to bring the horse under control. [Shit! The wagon's going to get knocked over if this stupid horse doesn't calm down!] In a daring move, she leaped from the back of her horse and fell onto the ground, rolling to reduce the force of her impact. She hit something soft with a smack. "Ow…" Rubbing the back of her head, Yukiyo turned to see what she was lying against-and nearly had a heart attack.  
  
It was a body.  
  
Yukiyo scrambled to her feet, quickly getting hold of herself. She rolled the figure over and gasped. A hideous leering face looked back at her blankly.  
  
[It's a mask! But why would someone be all the way out here…?]  
  
Yuki knelt down on one knee and pressed her ear against the man's chest. Her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
[He's still breathing! Oh, kami-sama, I have to get him to a doctor! But how? My horse can't possibly carry two people; it's far too small! So then…?]  
  
Another flash of lightning and the crackle of thunder solved her problem.  
  
[Of course! The wagon!]  
  
Grasping the wounded man's shoulders tightly, the young woman groaned with the effort as she slowly dragged the poor soul towards the large wooden wagon.  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"…a miracle he's even alive! This man must be incredibly strong…"  
  
"…found him near the shrine…all muddy…that mask!"  
  
"…several bullet wounds…at least half a year before he'll be fully recovered…We were so lucky that Takata-sensei was visiting, or this young man would surely have died!"  
  
The man opened his eyes slowly, waiting for his eyes to focus. He was lying on something soft. A futon. As he blinked drowsily, he noted his surroundings. Sunlight streamed into the residence from various windows, basking the room in gold. Birdsong drifted sweet and pure into his ears. He shifted his head to the right, to the source of the voices, and stared blankly at the two people kneeling by him, sipping tea.  
  
"…Where…where am I…?" he managed to croak out.  
  
Yukiyo started, then turned to him and smiled. "You're awake…good! You're at the Takamura estate, and lucky to be alive, I should say."  
  
Yukiyo's father looked sharply at her. "Yukiyo! Mind your manners!"  
  
The young woman blushed. "Ohayo gozaimasu. Takamura Yukiyo wa namae desu." She said humbly.  
He stared at her. "Doozo yoroshiku…" he replied weakly. "Ano…Arigatou gozaimasu for helping me."  
  
Takamura-san smiled warmly at the injured man. "Yare yare…what else could we have done? Certainly not leave you to die, ne? But you have not told us your name, good sir. May I be so bold as to ask it?"  
  
The man did not reply.  
  
"Young man?"  
  
The young man slowly sat up, crying out in pain as he did so. He fell forward onto his palms and gasped as his entire body burned. Yukiyo hurried over to him, supporting him with her arms. He gratefully slumped into them.  
  
The minutes passed, and the Takamuras waited worriedly.  
  
Slowly, the man raised his eyes upward, his eyes gazing vacantly into space.  
  
"My name…"  
  
["What is my name…???"]  
  
  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay...I would like to dedicate this fan fiction to all those girls(*sigh...* alright, guys too. ^_~V)who have always drooled(/wanted to know for you guys)while fantasizing about WHAT THE HECK IS UNDER HANNYA'S MASK. This is for you, peopo~~!!!! "O^_U V"  
  
Thank you, thank you... -TBOtaku~~ (Yey!! And I promise I'll do fan art!! ))  



	2. Self-Reunion - Chapter 2

Hannya wandered past the bamboo and the goldfish ponds to settle amongst the tall, swishing reeds. He dropped backward into the soft clump and put his hands behind his head. Sunshine flowed down onto the earth, birds sung.  
  
Hannya sighed.  
  
Six months already. And he still had only regained his most rudimentary memories. Playing at the beach as a child, falling into a ditch and laughing about it as a young boy, liking okonomiyaki…None of this helped at all. But there was one thing…  
  
Hannya bit his bottom lip and furrowed his brow as he relived the image for the thousandth time:  
  
Him, younger and masked as always, standing in a small group of faceless people, laughing along with a rosy-cheeked little girl as he caught her from falling. Him, giving the child a piggyback ride. Him, tucking her in at night.  
  
That girl.  
  
Hannya sat up suddenly, then, brushing stray grass and dirt from his clothes, stood up and looked at the sky. The cloudless, pure blue sky.  
  
[Pure blue…]  
  
Her eyes were pure blue. Hannya pressed his hand against his forehead and groaned. Why couldn't he remember?? Takamura-san had said that traumatic experiences often resulted in total amnesia, and that, in time, both his body and his mind would be healed. But it had been SIX MONTHS!!!  
  
The sound of wood splintering echoed into the forest as his fist connected with the trunk of an unfortunate tree.  
  
Shaking his head, Hannya headed for work.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Finished at 10:50(it's 10:51 now) PM (EDT) by Allison Chang, Alias TBOtaku on Friday Night, September 7th, 2,001. =''= Read and review, onegai, minna!! O^^; ^_^V" -TBO~~  
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	3. Self-Reunion - Chapter 3 AKA Chapter 2, ...

Hannya set the seven bowls on the counter top and stepped back. The crowd stood, hushed and waiting, peeking over each other's shoulders to get a view of the famous waiter's trademark move.  
  
Smiling under his mask, he took a step forward, or so it seemed. At the end of the step, all seven bowls were magically transported from the counter to the tables of those who had ordered. All placed next to a napkin, soupspoon and chopsticks.  
  
"Ooh! How wonderful!"  
"How does he do it?"  
"I bet it's rigged!!"  
"How can it be rigged when we're standing right here watching him, you baka?"  
  
The usual tirade of enthusiastic diners and other miscellaneous speculators faded into a murmuring blur in Hannya's mind as he bowed modestly and headed into the kitchen to do some dishwashing. Nodding in turn to his fellow workers, he reached the washing bin and picked up the first bowl.  
  
Everything stopped.  
  
A scene from far away, long ago burst from the murky waters of his mind, and he stood absolutely motionless where a normal man would have collapsed to the floor.  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
"Nii-chan! Nii-chan! Ichi, ni, san! Ichi, ni, san! I can count, Nii-chan! Isn't it wonderful?"  
  
It was that blue-eyed girl again.  
  
Smiling, Hannya reached over and mussed her soft, downy hair before answering, "Hai. You've done very well today, Misao-chan…maybe tomorrow I'll teach you some more numbers!" The lesson finished, Hannya picked up the small bowl with which he taught Misao the numbers. The numbers one to twenty-five were carefully painted on with bright blue paint, swirling into a spiral pattern that led to the bottom of the bowl. He had crafted it himself, taking a few spare minutes each day to touch it up with pictures of cute animals and candy.  
  
"Wai, nii-chan!! Yatta! And I can fight, too!" To prove this, the young angel bounced up from the straw mat and punched a small fist into air. A determined grin upon her face, she started to assume what she thought of as a proper beginning stance.  
  
He chuckled, deep and rich. "Another time, perhaps, little one; besides, it's time for you to go help Okon and Omasu gather firewood for dinner. I'll be here when you return, and maybe then you and I can have a sparring match, ne?" In a sudden motion, he grabbed her legs and scooped her up into a hysterically giggling bundle, placing her onto his shoulders and racing out of the room at blurring speed, causing more laughter to erupt from her delighted little self.  
  
"Again, again!!" Clapping her hands, Misao reached her arms out and enveloped his face in a soft, loving hug.  
"Yare yare, you'll break my back with your agains, Misao-chan. Okon! There you are! Quickly, take her before I am bound into a miserable life of slavery!" Feigning terror, Hannya gave Misao a quick squeeze and threw her shrieking into Okon's ready arms.  
"See you soon, Misao-chan!" He called as the young woman carried his surrogate younger sister down the hall.  
"Genki!"  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
Hannya stared at the bowl.  
  
Numbers.  
  
One to twenty-five.  
  
Misao…  
  
"Why can't I remember…" he whispered.  
  
But now you remember her name, Hannya. And your name, his conscience reminded him. You'll remember soon enough. It just takes time. And in the mean time, you'd better get back to working if you want to repay the Takamuras for all their kindness.  
  
The Takamuras…  
  
Yukiyo…  
  
An image of the lovely young woman entered his mind unbidden, her twirling around in her the dress that he had bought for her, then running up and giving him a warm, firm hug. The elder Takamura had laughed, saying that Hannya would have done better to have bought her a temple, he was spoiling them so much. "Not at all," he had replied, insisting on showing his gratitude. Takamura-san, laughing, had had nothing more to say as Hannya handed him a new dark blue hakama and gi. "You're like a son to me," he had said. "Stay, please, stay until you regain your memories, and then please consider whether you really do want to leave this place. I don't know what we did without you."  
  
"I did all the work, tou-san!" Yukiyo had said huffily, faking anger and indignation before collapsing into a hysterical heap.  
  
Hannya dipped the bowl into the basin of water and started scrubbing.  
  
But what will I decide when I finally remember who I am? He wondered. And what if I do not like what I learn when that happens? The ominous thought sent a shiver down his spine.  
  
Just then Yukiyo burst into the restaurant, her eyes red and her breathing ragged.  
  
"Hannya!! It's tou-san! Tou-san is dead!!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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This fan fiction chapter was finished at 4:09 PM (EDT) on Monday, September 17th, 2001. Thanks SO MUCH for reading~!! ^_^V" PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!! . AHH, DO IT!! ^_^;; -TBO~~ ^_^O"  
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	4. Self-Reunion - Chapter 4

The funeral was the next day.  
  
Yukiyo had clung to him, sobbing into the folds of his traditional black gi. She had sobbed and cried, her tears as much from her as from the tall man supporting her. And indeed, he was supporting her, for if he had stepped back the slightest breath of air would have left her on her knees.  
  
She was broken.  
  
As the monks waved their staffs in the air to ward off the evil spirits, Hannya cursed himself. Why could he not cry? Why was he unable to weep like the rest of the village? Like Yukiyo? How could he have so much control over his emotions?  
  
I've had some mental training, he realized, remembering previous discussions with Takamura-san about the monks of some temples who could watch unspeakable horrors and still stand emotionless on the outside, churning on the inside. A mask of emotions, Takamura-san had called it. Like the mask he wore, and never removed. The elder man had then gravely told Hannya that he should not remove the mask until he was ready to face what was under it.  
  
But there would be no more discussions, no more friendly afternoons sipping tea, no more anything.  
  
Not for Takamura.  
  
As the monk at the head of the procession lit the arrangement of timber beneath the kind old man's body, the full reality of his short-time but true friend, the man who had saved his life and cared for him like he was family, came like a slap in the face to Hannya. Seeing the flames begin to lick at the deceased doctor, Yujiyo cried out and began sobbing harder than ever.  
  
The smoke rose, and after it was over Hannya had carried the dazed young woman back to her newly inherited estate. It was all hers now; actually, the will had left a portion to Hannya too. It had come as a great surprise to everyone, but was generally accepted after Yukiyo had insisted on it, saying that Hannya deserved every inch of it.  
  
Now they would share it, this big, empty house, so cold and dark without the light and warmth of Takamura's kind laughter and hearty singing and jokes. This whole estate seemed a sorry replacement indeed for the caring doctor, father, mentor.  
  
Yukiyo had dozed off before they had reached the main building, and Hannya carefully slipped her shoes and hair things off, washed away her makeup and tucked her into bed.  
  
What will we do now, he thought somberly.  
  
Shaking his head, he reprimanded himself for his foolishness. There's only one thing that I could do; I can't just leave her alone like this. His mind was now focused, his path from here clear as crystal.  
  
I'm staying with her. For as long as it takes, he resolved firmly.  
  
Reaching his room, Hannya changed into his sleeping robe and knelt in front of his futon. His hands reflexively went up to feel his mask, the thin sheet of carved wood that separated him from the seeing eyes of the outside world. From everyone who called him friend, from everyone who didn't.  
  
This mask is a joke. And with that thought in his mind, he ripped it off and tossed it into a corner.  
  
Settling under his bedsheets, Hannya closed his eyes and went to sleep, drifting off to a fairy tale place.  
  
  
  
The morning never seemed so far off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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5:32 PM (EDT) Monday, September 17th, 2001. -TBO~~ Please read and review!! Arigato gozaimasu, minna~!! ^^o ^__^V"  
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